Disciple: Your Voices Mattered: Advocacy Day 2024

By Aleta McClenney and the Rev. Sally Johnston

On May 22, representatives of the Bishops’ Council of Advice on Public Policy (CAPP) joined members of diocesan advocacy ministries for a second annual day of in-person advocacy at the North Carolina General Assembly. Everything learned from the success of Advocacy Day 2023 went into making this year’s Advocacy Day even better, and this time we took you with us.

During a planning meeting in January, the expanded team of representatives of the Bishop’s Committee on Affordable Housing, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, the Chartered Committee on Environmental Ministry, the For-Profit Cash Bail Reform Committee and CAPP brainstormed ways to have more Episcopalians heard through our efforts. If we couldn’t bring busloads of folks with us for logistical reasons, how could we make sure advocates from all over the diocese played a role in the day? A campaign to capture your thoughts in writing was the result.

[Image: Council of Advice on Public Policy co-chairs the Rev. Sally Johnston and Aleta McClenney organize flyers and branded thank you plants before Advocacy Day kicks off. Photo by Christine McTaggart]

GIVING UP YOUR SILENCE

As part of Lent earlier this year, you, parishioners in all congregations, were asked to discern and learn about public policy issues that mattered to you. Then, for Eastertide, all were invited to “Give Up Your Silence” by writing messages to our North Carolina legislators on diocese-provided postcards, expressing hopes for their leadership on those issues. As with any first-time project, we weren’t sure what to expect, and your response was extraordinary!

Postcards arrived at Diocesan House in Raleigh throughout the first half of May. Prior to Advocacy Day, a team sorted them by legislator. Any that were not written to a particular legislator were evenly distributed among those receiving visits. During our day at the General Assembly, we hand-delivered more than 500 messages on the issues our ministries address, as well as topics like access to mental health and substance-use disorder services, public education and reproductive justice. In some cases, the cards simply thanked elected leaders for their work and encouraged them to keep at it.

Your voices mattered. Time and again, we heard from legislators and their staff members how much it meant to receive handwritten, personal messages from their constituents. These were not copy-and-paste scripts; each was written from the heart, and those personal words resonated.

GIFTS OF THE DAY

As well as written messages, we also had about 40 in-person meetings with senators and representatives from districts across the diocese. Along with ministry volunteers, Bishop Sam Rodman and Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson held meetings and dropped by offices to leave materials about diocesan priorities.

Thoughtful preparation for Advocacy Day based on what we learned last year also helped us plan for surprises and little additions that made huge differences in our day. In the weeks leading up to Advocacy Day, we were fortunate to take part in a training led by St. Michael’s, Raleigh parishioner, Paola Learoyd Gibbs, a lobbyist by vocation who provided tips and logistical information to help the day go smoothly. In addition, diocesan representatives sported buttons with a QR code directing anyone who scanned it to the advocacy ministry pages on the website. Even the small plants we left behind in offices as a thank you and Creation Care reminder had a sticker with the code on their containers, all pointing back to diocesan priorities in our work toward Becoming Beloved Community.

[Image: The Rev. Jill Staton Bullard, Aleta McClenney, JSC fellow Caroline Kothari and the Rev. Sallie Simpson organize postcards into stacks by legislator in advance of Advocacy Day. Photo by Christine McTaggart]

This second annual advocacy day, like the first, represented significant collaborative work by the ministries and volunteers involved, not just in the preparation but on the day itself. Planners shared important information on ever-shifting General Assembly schedules, pending legislation, and even how to find specific offices in the labyrinthine buildings.

The day also brought with it marvelous opportunities for fellowship, both with the group assembled from the diocese and members of other groups present to advocate that day. Some of the other visitors who were also Episcopalian seemed particularly delighted to find our group there.

“Those are my bishops!” more than one said after spotting Bishop Sam and Bishop Jennifer.

The meetings with legislators themselves were important, even when they didn’t yield a particular policy response, as the group demonstrated the diocesan commitment to being a voice for those who are often voiceless in the public sphere. Legislators also expressed interest in having the bishops speak at the General Assembly on issues of concern, and they emphasized the importance of voter participation in the upcoming election.

Carl Sigel, a member of Nativity, Raleigh, and the Chartered Committee on Environmental Ministry, said, “My wife and I visited with seven of our lawmakers. One message we heard repeatedly was we need to get people out to vote, and they need to vote according to their values. We heard strong commitments to supporting both justice issues and caring for creation issues.”

[Image: Meredith Swindell, Bishop Sam Rodman, Senator Jay Chaudhuri, Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, Aleta McClenney and the Rev. Jan Lamb pose in the North Carolina State legislative building during Advocacy Day 2024. Photo courtesy of Meredith Swindell]

SPEAK UP EVERY DAY

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re already thinking about our next Advocacy Day but recognize there’s much work to be done in the meantime. The work of diocesan ministries continues. And, of course, our minds are engaged with the upcoming November elections. There’s room for everyone to play a part. Churches can have a role in election education and mobilization. We can help ensure individuals have access to resources to inform themselves about issues and candidates. We can use our voices—every day—to share our faith values and advocate on the issues that impact the dignity of every human being, something we promised to respect as part of the Baptismal Covenant.

In addition, parishes can be a vital part of building ongoing relationships with legislators during the 364 days each year when diocesan representatives are not at the General Assembly. Inviting local elected leaders to events held by your church community—your preschool, feeding program, arts event or potluck—helps them get to know you and the issues that matter to your community, as it helps you get to know them.

For, indeed, our ministries are biblically grounded, not partisan, and our calling is not small and localized but broad and urgent: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

You gave up your silence and spoke up for Advocacy Day 2024, and it mattered.

Resources for You

You will be invited to share your voices again as part of Advocacy Day 2025; look for the postcard campaign to begin this fall.

Until then, there are resources to help with both voting and advocacy education on the diocesan website:

• Voting resources
• Advocacy ministries
  

Aleta McClenney and the Rev. Sally Johnston are the co-chairs of the Bishops’ Council of Advice on Public Policy. Contact them via the communications department.